There are stories we take on from our culture, and there are stories based on our own personal … - Tara Brach

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How often are the perpetrators of hate-crimes discovered to be self-loathing? Valued individuals do not strike out against strangers.

Tara Brach

There are stories we take on from our culture, and there are stories based on our own personal history. Some of those stories lock us in limiting beliefs and lead to suffering, and there are others that can move us toward freedom.

Culture, Freedom, Lock, Moving, Personal, Suffering

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Imagine you are walking in the woods and you see a small dog sitting by a tree. As you approach it, it suddenly lunges at you, teeth bared. You are frightened and angry. But then you notice that one of its legs is caught in a trap. Immediately your mood shifts from anger to concern: You see that the dog's aggression is coming from a place of vulnerability and pain. This applies to all of us. When we behave in hurtful ways, it is because we are caught in some kind of trap. The more we look through the eyes of wisdom at ourselves and one another, the more we cultivate a compassionate heart.

Concern, Dog, Eye, Pain, Teeth, Walking

Most of us need to be reminded that we are good, that we are lovable, that we belong. If we knew just how powerfully our thoughts, words, and actions affected the hearts of those around us, we'd reach out and join hands again and again. Our relationships have the potential to be a sacred refuge, a place of healing and awakening. With each person we meet, we can learn to look behind the mask and see the one who longs to love and be loved.

Good, Hands, Healing, Heart, Powerfully, Refuge

Mindfulness is a pause -- the space between stimulus and response: that's where choice lies.

Choice, Choices, Lying, Mindfulness, Space

Happiness lies not in finding what is missing, but in finding what is present.

Finding, Findings, Happiness, Lying, Missing

There is something wonderfully bold and liberating about saying yes to our entire imperfect and messy life.

Imperfect, Liberating, Messy, Saying, Saying Yes, Wonderfully

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Harvey Fierstein

How often are the perpetrators of hate-crimes discovered to be self-loathing? Valued individuals do not strike out against strangers.

Against, Hate, Individuals, Loathing, Self, Valued

Stephen Jay Gould

People are storytelling creatures. We like stories that go somewhere, and therefore we like trends - because trends are things that either get better or get worse, so we can either rejoice or lament. But we mistakenly depict many things as trends moving in some direction. We take the "full house" of variation in a system and try to represent it as a single number, when in fact what we should be doing is studying the variation as it expands and contracts. If you look at the history of the variation in all its complexity, then you see there's no trend.

House, Like, Mistakenly, Moving, People, Rejoice

Jonis Agee

From the opening lines, Sleeping with Schubert is a hilarious, whimsical romp through the looking glass of a great musical mystery. The writing snaps, crackles, and pops with humor as Bonnie Marson makes Schubert a sexy, happening kind of guy who gives new meaning to our dreaming the impossible.

Bonnie, Dream, Impossible, Looking, Sexy, Sleep

Alberto Manguel

At night, here in the library, the ghosts have voices. . . . The various qualities of my readings seem to permeate my every muscle, so that when I finally decide to turn off the library light, I carry into my sleep the voices and the movements of the book I've just closed.

Book, Library, Reading, Readings, Sleep

Joel Osteen

You can make changes in your life and you can say, "I'm going to be a better parent next year than I am right now," or, "I'm going to take an extra step in my career and not just be satisfied where I am. " So it has a lot to do with our will, but also we have to work as well.

Careers, Parent, Step, Take, Work, Years